Navigating Dane County’s Entitlement Process
by Carole Schaeffer, Director of Business Development (Wisconsin Market) & Entitlement Specialist
The process of taking your dream project from a twinkle in your eye to a finished product – where people live, recreate, work, and interact – is a journey that can be exhilarating, terrifying, uncertain, and gratifying.
For over 12 years, I have worked with business owners and developers as a consultant helping them get their projects through the various municipal processes.
Every community is unique in some ways and quite the same in others. Developers strive to bring projects to the market that they believe will bring value to the community, and believe they know the best way to do so. Our local municipalities in Dane County want to support projects that edify and enhance their communities and bring opportunities for their citizens. Both parties don’t always agree on what this looks like. But, in my experience, developers genuinely want to bring great projects to fruition. Whereas municipality staff members have a set of guidelines that frame how they can analyze a project and are doing the best they can often with limited resources. They’re also a great resource for the wealth of knowledge they hold.
Here are a few of the most common questions I get from developers:
How do I start the process of getting my project approved and entitled in Dane County?
Start by doing a little homework on finding out how your property is zoned. In Dane County, you can use Access Dane to search or reach out to the zoning department of the relevant municipality.
As part of this, I also recommend that clients involve the municipality early and establish a collaborative relationship. Joseph (Joe) Lee, owner and principal of JLA, offers the following advice: “Identify their ‘hot buttons’ and strategize with your team on how to address them. Municipalities can be an ally if you work with them. That goes for neighborhood groups as well.”
Other things you want to be aware of include: existing future land use plans, neighborhood or special area plans, and any other zoning issues that can impact what you are able to do with the property. Our team excels at doing the initial zoning analysis when we are putting together a potential site plan for our clients.
I frequently reach out on behalf of prospective clients to help get them the baseline information they need to start making decisions about how to proceed.
How long does the entitlement process take in Dane County from conception to completion?
Generally speaking, it takes 3-4 months to get through the process once you have submitted your land use application. However, the ‘process before the process’ often takes longer than the actual approvals and signoffs.
For example, in the City of Madison, I recommend a preliminary meeting with staff to share your idea and early concept plans. They can help guide you and put a roadmap in place to get your project over the finish line or point out hurdles that could waylay the project. There is also a City Design Assistance Team that will provide feedback and includes folks from all the relevant city agencies. There are both required and recommended notifications to alders, staff, and neighborhood that must be met and completed prior to the application process. Some more complicated projects require changes to the comprehensive plan or a rezoning. Other projects may face neighborhood resistance or concerns and can take years to go from concept to completion. Those tend to be much less common, but knowing what you are getting into before you get too far down the road is wise.
Can you guarantee my project will be approved by the municipality?
I wish! No one can promise that your project will gain approvals, but after many years of working on these projects, I can generally predict how strong the likelihood of passage is. We can also help put together a plan that maximizes the chances of success.
Decisions on a project frequently hinge on the votes by various land use decision-making bodies (e.g. Plan Commissions, Urban Design Commissions, Landmark Commissions, Common Council), and they make their decisions based on sets of standards. The City of Madison’s Urban Design Commission (UDC) has a set of standards that they must consider, which are complementary but not identical to Plan Commission standards. Having a team that can work with you to navigate those standards and also actively engage other stakeholders increases your chances of success.
“JLA has been an indispensable member of our development team. They have a unique ability to navigate complex projects including projects that inevitably sustain substantial neighborhood opposition. Their diligence and demeanor provided a path for neighbors to better understand the dynamics and need for the project.”
Michael Carter, Vice President of Operations, Gebhardt Development
How will your services assist me in gaining approval of my project?
When people ask, I sometimes liken my job to being a shepherd. We guide your project through the process and politics, helping navigate potential pitfalls along the way. When it comes to your real estate development project, getting proper entitlements from the municipality or governing body is necessary for you to move forward. From permitted uses to the most complicated rezoning situation, understanding how to move your project through the system is critical. Some specific ways we can help streamline it for you include: creating your roadmap, setting up and attending meetings with staff, making connections with the neighborhood associations and participating in those meetings, as well as working together to develop a strategy for the land use decision-making bodies you will face. Overall, it’s a very collaborative process.
If you have a challenging site or project that you need assistance with, you can reach out to me directly at CSchaeffer@jla-ap.com.
Learn more about JLA’s services here
STAY TUNED!
In future blogs, I’ll be spotlighting specific case studies and answering more of your questions about the entitlement process.
ABOUT CAROLE
Carole Schaeffer offers more than 23 years of experience in community engagement, the municipal entitlement process, and business development. Previously, she worked as a consultant assisting both new and experienced real estate developers in navigating the entitlement process. In the community, she currently serves on the Board of Directors for: NAIOP-Wisconsin, Salvation Army of Dane County, the Madison Symphony Orchestra League, International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), and the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce.
